The Winter's Servant {Stucky AU} COMPLETED

~Chapter Twenty-One~

   
                          For the first time in weeks,  Steven woke up with a smile on his face. 

He could feel James's warm breath on his face and neck,  and Steven shivered with delight as he tightened his grip around James's shoulder with one hand,  and pulled a blanket up higher around them with the other. 

It was cold in his room,  but for once,  he wasn't shaking from it.

He laid still for a while again,  drifting back into a light slumber before he was awoken by James's body moving beneath him. 

James slid out from underneath him,  standing up beside the bed.

Steven whined at the loss of warmth and contact from his body,  but James softly soothed him,  running his fingers through his hair and pulling the blankets up underneath his chin. 

"I'll be right back. " James promised before he slipped out of the room,  vanishing. 

Steven sighed and turned onto his side,  looking out of the single window in his room.  He could see that behind the shabby,  thin curtain,  the sun had begun to slowly rise,  making its daily entrance. 

He almost didn't want it to.  He wanted to beg the moon to come back and hang in the dark night sky for just a moment longer,  so he could have one extra moment to be with James. 

He recalled the previous night,  how he'd fallen asleep to soft,  gorgeous piano music and had awoken in James's arms,  and all of his insecurities and doubts about their relationship had melted.

It had felt so right to be in his Prince's arms,  he knew he couldn't deny it any longer. 

So he had a few things to work out. He would have to tell James why he was so afraid of being intimate,  yet he desperately wanted to be. 

He would have to work out years of hidden pain and sadness and brokenness that he hid behind a small,  submissive smile. 

But he knew James would stay with him,  no matter the circumstances. 

Snuggling deeper down into the blankets,  he closed his eyes once more,  waiting for James to return.

He wasn't aware that he had fallen asleep until he was awaken to the feeling of the mattress dipping beneath him,  and the feel of a warm hand on his shoulder. 

Steven almost cooed with joy when he opened his eyes to see James.  He could get used to waking up to that.

James grasped Steven's forearms in his hands and helped prop Steven up against the pillows.  Steven then saw the cup of tea and piece of warm,  buttered bread that sat on a tray on the nightstand. 

The Prince held out the cup of tea to Steven's lips and signaled for him to drink.

"What's all this for? " Steven asked.

"For you,  doll. You're clearly getting sick,  so you're resting today. "

Steven was about to object before James pushed the cup closed to his lips and tilted it back,  sending a warm,  sweet liquid down Steven's throat.

He closed his eyes and hummed,  appreciating the warmth from the drink that it provided his body.

James chuckled at his reaction.  "Have you never had tea before? "

Shaking his head,  Steven responded,  "Once.  It was left over from a party that the Queen had thrown,  and it was cold and disgusting. "